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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...BHPkicksoffitsproductionseasonBHPBillitonsEkatidiamondmineopenedforproductionlastweekbecomingoneoftheworlds15thlargestdiamondmines.Themineisexpectedtohavea25-yearlifespanandduringthattimethecom-panyestimatestheywillcontributeover6billiontotheGrossDomesticProductofCanada.IssueOctober20199820YearsAgo...RegionalteachersattendSmithconferenceOver180teachersandstaffareexpectedtoattendaconferencetodealwithregionaleducationintheNWT.PhylisCrossonchairoftheconferencesaidparticipantswillbeworkinginteamstocreateanewassessmentpolicytojudgehowandwhatstudentsacrosstheregionarelearninginschool.IssueOctober20199330YearsAgo...OilsubsidyprogramextendedThehomeheatingoilsubsidyprogramde-velopedbythefederalgovernmentandad-ministeredbythegovernmentoftheNWThasbeenextendedtoMarch1984.TerritorialresidentslivingoutsideofYel-lowknifewhopaymorefortheirhomeheat-ingoilthanthecityratecouldbeeligibleforasubsidyunderthisprogramwhichbeganinApril1980.IssueOctober2019834TuesdayOctober222013Runningasmallbusinessoffersthefree-domtobeyourownbossindependencemanypeopleliveforandthriveon.Itcanalsobeacruelmasterifthingsdonotgoyourwayandthepitfallsaremany.Survivalofthettestsmartestmostcapa-blehardworkingandyesluckyprevailsforthesmall-scaleentrepreneur.Anymistakesorpoordecisionsarebornebythemakeroftenwithpainfulnancialconsequences.Thatisincentivetolearnandquickly.Likesomanythingsinthesefast-changingtimesnewchallengesconstantlyemergethreateningthefutureofallsmallbusiness.Bigboxstoresandtheinternetarethelat-est.Manyvictimslittertheeconomicroad-side.Yetsmallbusinessesarestillamas-sivejob-makingmachineprovidingthesta-blefoundationsoessentialtoournationaleconomyandofferingvaluableservicesthatenhanceallourlives.AreyouinterestedinstartingorrunningasmallbusinessThegoodnewsisthatinourfreemarketeconomytherearethosewhosucceedevenearnsubstantivenan-cialrewardsintheirlifetime.Inafewcasesanentrepreneursincomeandsavingscaneventopthatofgovernmentworkers.Thebadnewsismostdonotandtheun-dertakingisalifelongstruggle.Alabourofloveyesbuttherewardscanbeminimal.Toofewenjoymarketswheretheirproductsandservicesaresoughtafterandthere-turnfortheirhardworkandriskprovidesaseriousincome.Thechanceofsellingthebusinessafterdecadestoprovideanest-eggforretirementequivalenttoagovern-mentpensionisslimtonone.Addtothatproblemssuchasshopliftingemployeetheftandbreak-insthatmakethatlifeoffreedommorethanabitstress-ful.OperatingintheremoteNorththehighRiskmayberewardforentrepreneurcostoffreightproblemswithsuppliersandthechallengetoremaincurrentarecon-stant.Findinggoodemployeesisalwaysachallengeandthegoodonesoftenmoveonafterbeingtrainedtobetterpayinggov-ernmentjobs.Thentherearethevagariesofthemarketplacesuchasuctuatingin-terestratesinationrecessionandsoonallfactoredintothethesmallbusinessbot-tomline.ThebiggestchallengeformanysmallbusinessesoperatingintheNorthisdeal-ingwithgovernmentthedominantforceintheeconomy.Itcyclesthroughdramaticchangesinpurchasingabelt-tighteningphaseisduesoonandoftengrowsitsowninternalservicesthatcompetewithorevenfreezeoutsmallbusinesseswithnoconcernforcost.Italsolacksconsistencyippingandoppingindifferentdirections.Itislikesleepingwithanelephant-youneverknowwhenitwillrolloverandsquishyou.TheGNWTonceattemptedtoleverageitsbuyingpowertoencouragethegrowthofsmallbusinessbutitsbusinessincentivepolicyisoutdatedandawed.Worsestillmanyingovernmentarbitrarilyignorethepolicy.BypassinglegitimateNorthernbusi-nessesandgoingdirecttosouthernsuppli-ersisalltoocommon.Unfortunatelythereappearstobenopoliticalwilltodoanythingaboutthat.Somegovernmentagenciesintentionallyignorelocalpreferenceandgostraighttothesouthfortheirneeds.ThereareseveralbutAuroraCollegeisonethatstandsout.InthebusinessoftrainingandeducatingpeopletoworkintheNortherneconomybutdoesnotsupporttheNortherneconomyFigurethatoneout.OuradviceIfyouwanttostartasmallbusinessyouhadbetterbebothsmartandluckyandbepreparedtoworklongandhardoftenforminimalrewards.Wesug-gestyoustaysmallsoyoudependonthefewestpossibleemployeesandtryhardnottoofferservicesthatdependonanylevelofgovernmentasaclient.OtherwisegoodluckwithyourventureSoundsprettydiredoesntitWellinfactthesituationforsmallbusinessesisnotgoodparticularlyintheNWT.Thefactistacitlyignoredespeciallybygovernmentandunionslargecorporationsjustdontcareandthepublicwelltheyaretoobusytryingtosavetheirhardearnedmoneyinwhateverwaystheycan.Notonlydomostsmallbusinessesstrug-gleonmultiplefrontswhileonlyafewthrivebutthesituationisnotgreatfortheirem-ployeeseither.Allthosejobscreatedbysmallbusinessesaretypicallyatwageswellbelowthatofagovernmentworker.Considerthataroongcompanyplumb-ingandheatingcompanyorgrocerystorepayslowerwagestoitsstaffthanwhatthetypicalsummerstudentmakesworkingforthegovernment-andweallknowwhohasmoreskillsandworksthehardest.Workerswhobuildourhomessealthemtokeeptherainoutandheatthemsotheyarewarmandcozyandotherswhoprovideservicesweallneedtolivewellusuallyearnwagesthataretoolowbecausethesmallcompa-niestheyworkforcanonlyaffordthatmuch.Thatisareality.Thereissomethingbadlyskewedinallthat.Thepredictableoutcomeisthatovertimetherewillbefewerandfewersmallbusi-nessesandtheimportantservicestheyofferwillbecomemoreandmorescarce.Thatishappeningnowslowly.Weareallbecomingworseoffforit.Thesystemfos-teringthatisawed.Itmustbexed.THENORTHERNJOURNALSUnasweredQuestionoftheWeekTHETOPICTheGNWTwantsthefederalgovernmenttoraiseitsdebtceiling.THEJOURNALSQUESTIONposedtoDavidBarnabeFinanceCanadaWouldthefederalgovernmentbepreparedtoconsiderraisingtheNWTsborrowinglimitTHEANSWERWerefusetospeculateonthematter.TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21djnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15salesnorj.caEzraBlack867-872-3000ext20adsnorj.caAdministration.......................AnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.26designnorj.caLucyBourkepreparesdrymeatforsmokingatherhomeinFortSmith.PhotoMeaganWohlberg